Page 69 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

“We need to stop Marc.Right now.”

* * * *

When Marc and Ryman entered Soloman Archer’s office, the MP sat in a high-backed chair, facing away from them. Only the top of his head was visible. Marc figured he was on a call. They approached the desk and waited, expecting Soloman to turn around and indicate whether he wanted them to sit or wait outside.

It seemed strange, after thirty seconds, that he did not speak or move.

That all too familiar sense of foreboding crept over Marc.

He looked at Ryman and realised he was having similar doubts.

Marc cleared his throat and said, “Soloman.”

When there was no reply, he feared the worst.

He moved around the desk for a closer look.

The MP was held in position on the chair by cable ties around both wrists. His mouth hung open, his eyes were wide and unfocused. His shirt, from the neck down, was a wet, bloody mess. Marc gazed at the face of death for the third time since this investigation had begun.

“He’s dead,” he said.

As he raised his eyes to look at Ryman, he caught sudden movement in the room behind him. His mouth opened but had only half formed the warning when Chantelle swung a knife through the air and stuck it in Ryman’s back.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Confronting a Killer

Nadine pressed down hard on the horn and cursed the driver ahead of her. The windscreen wipers were going full out as torrential rain battered the roof of the car. Though it was not yet dark, visibility barely reached three yards ahead of them.

Jason tried Marc’s number again. It rang, and rang, before switching to voicemail.

“Shit,” he swore through gritted teeth. The car came to a complete halt. “What now?”

“Red light,” Nadine said.

At a standstill the force of the rain sounded like it was going to cave in the roof.

“He’s not picking up,” he groaned with frustration.

“Could be this storm,” Nadine said.

He checked the screen on his phone. “Nah, I’ve got a signal. It’s weak, but it’s there.”

“He’s on the other side of the city. Maybe it’s worse.” She glanced in her rear-view mirror. “Shit.”

“What?”

“Ambulance.”

Jason looked behind. Through the rain-streaked window he saw the flashing lights. Nadine and the other cars in the line attempted to edge aside to make room for the vehicle to pass. It seemed to take an age to make its way along the road.

Jason took up the phone again and called emergency services. “I’m going to try the police. They’ll probably get there sooner than we will.” After Jason requested police from the initial call handler, the phone rang. It continued to ring the whole time they sat waiting for the traffic to clear. “They must be inundated because of the weather,” he said.

The sound of sirens was right on top of them. The car was filled with the blue flash of the beacons.

Nadine took a deep breath and said, “Hang on.”

As soon as the ambulance passed them, she jerked the wheel to the right and stepped on the accelerator, pulling into the road behind the emergency vehicle, following in the path it had cleared. Horns blared angrily around them. In other circumstances, Jason would have been furious at another driver behaving so recklessly. Not tonight. Whatever it took to reach Marc was fair and reasonable.

---